Deviancy and Youth (overview)

Question 1

Describe a criminal

Answer 1

• Working class/underclass
• Ethnic minority (overrepresented)
• Young male 17 (peak offending age)

Question 2

How are most youth cultures deviant?

Answer 2

• Adapt dress codes/behaviours that go against the norms of society
• YP are often associated with criminal or anti-social behaviour

Question 3

Define crime and example

Answer 3

Act that breaks the law

E.g. underage drinking

Question 4

Define deviant and example

Answer 4

Act that breaks norm

e.g. smoking outside hospital

Question 5

Why are young people more likely to be involved in criminal activities?

Answer 5

• Facing low wages, unemployment and urban decay Brake
• Peer pressure Adler and Adler
• Media, demonisation of young
• Labelled, Becker (SAT)
• Safety valve, Eistensdat
• Rebellion New wave girls, Balckman
• No kids, jobs or responsibility

Question 6

Reasons why crimes are never reported to the police

Answer 6

• Little evidence
• ‘Snitchin’ is bad’
• Don’t trust police
• Criminal on criminal
• Relationship with perpetrator - domestic violence
• Embarrassed - sexual assault

Question 7

Reasons why crimes are never recorded by police

Answer 7

• Cuts to police (time)
• More serious crime get attention
• Massage the statistics
• Bias policing
• Bribery
• Unreliable witness
• Withdraw offence

Question 8

What is the ‘dark figure’ of crime?

Answer 8

Crimes that have not been reported or recorded by the police, may account for as much as 90% of all crimes

Question 9

What is a self report study?

Answer 9

Asks a person how many crimes they have been involved in

Usually focuses on young people

Question 10

In 2004, how many 10-15 year olds admitted they had been involved in anti-social behaviour?

Answer 10

A quater of 10-15 year olds, the most common form of anti-social behaviour was being nosy/rude in public places

Question 11

What is the main problem with using a self-report study?

Answer 11

• Could lie
• Might forget
• Might not want to admit to crimes
• Focuses on young (certain types of crime ignored)

Question 12

The media and young people

Answer 12

Often portrays young people in a negative light, which may have an impact on the general public’s view

Question 13

Barnardo’s

Answer 13

• 2012 general public poll

Question 14

Example of moral panics

Answer 14

• Chavs
• Hippies (Yung)
• Black muggers (Stuart Hall)
• Mods & Rockers (Cohen)
• Aids 1980

Question 15

Official crime stats show

Answer 15

• 1/4 of crime is committed by 10-17 year olds
• Peak offending age B = 17 / G = 15
• Approximately 97% of youth offenders are male

Question 16

Victims

Answer 16

• Younger people

- Teens are more vulnerable than adults to offences like sexual harassment, assault, theft and abuse at home

Question 17

CAGE - Class

Answer 17

• Serious offending is more prevalent among sons of manual workers
• Unemployment / illness are factors to be associated with higher levels of offending
• More prevalent in lower income areas

Question 18

CAGE - Gender

Why do girls start shoplifting at 15?

Answer 18

• Young males = 80% of offenders
• Might be able to get away with it
• Not a violent crime

Question 19

CAGE - Ethnicity

Answer 19

• Over representation of young black people

Question 20

Jock Young

Answer 20

• Hippies and drug use
• Strict policing of drugs led to secrative subcultures developing
• Resulting in trying ‘harder’ drugs such as heroin

Question 21

Stuart Hall

Answer 21

• Major economic recession which led to the marginalisation of black youths —> increase in street robbery
• Distracted from capitalism not working
• Government put more police in areas with high crime rates
• Higher arrests (media reported)
• Public is focused on black criminality not deeper problems of capitalist system